Where ya goi’n boy? Big Mo kept on walking because he just wasn’t in the mood to be dealing with some redneck cracker on a hot and muggy afternoon. He had just finished putting in another long hard day’s work at the plant and the only thing on his mind right now, was getting home to his wife and kids, taking a shower and sitting down to have a nice home cooked meal. After that he would go out on the front porch, enjoy a nice cool drink, watch the kids play around for a while and celebrate with his wife before calling it another day. But before he could even entertain any of that, he had to deal with this irritating ignorant cracker…
Hey nigger, you hear me talk’in to ya? I said where ya goi’n boy? Big Mo was in a hurry and making long strides, trying to put some distance between the two of them as he wanted to reach the bus before the confrontation he knew was imminent had caught up with him. He could see the bus pulling up to the stop but he was just not close enough to get on and avoid what was coming. Damn, he thought to himself, out of all the days to possibly be late getting home for dinner, why would it have to be this day. You see this day was also a special occasion for Big Mo and his wife Mattie because they had been struggling and working extremely hard to save every penny that they possibly could and were soon to be the proud owners of a new home and this would be the night for them to celebrate.. It didn’t matter that he still had to rely on public transportation to get around because ownership of a home is what he and his wife, Mattie had always dreamed of for them and their children. It would be a step up the ladder and also give them a sense of security but the most rewarding part of it all is that it would be theirs..There just weren’t that many Black folks during this period who owned their homes but they would be one of the few that did. Yes, this was indeed a momentous occasion and cause for celebration…But, first things first…
Big Mo came to an abrupt stop, whirled his huge frame of a body around and glared with a look of disdain and annoyance directly into the eyes of his insolent pursuer and said, what you want with me? I ain’t doing nothing but trying to get home to my wife and kids. Unfortunately Big Mo wouldn’t make it home this night. He had dared question a white man and did so in a manner that was considered challenging to the authority and superiority of this nobody cracker. A heated exchange between the two would ensue and it would draw the unwanted attention of other white folks. As fate would have it, things began to escalate and not to soon afterwards a mob of curious and angry white men would gather around and the instigator would accuse Big Mo of being an uppity nigger who needed to be taught a lesson. They would collapse around Big MO, beat him down and take him out to the woods to string him up and there his lifeless body dangled, hanging from a tree just like a piece of fruit on a branch.
Big Mo would not be celebrating with his wife tonight, he wouldn’t be sitting down to enjoy his dinner with his family, he wouldn’t be sitting out on the porch sipping a cool drink while his children played nor would Big Mo and his family ever have the experience of owning their own home.
He would never live to breathe a breath of air another day in Any-town USA. All because of the ignorance and racist vile that has permeated the air throughout American society and has profusely stained it’s soil with the innocent blood of ( far too many to count ) black men and women in this country. This is a short story that is all too reminiscent of what it is like to be a dark-skinned person living in a white dominated society. This short story is a prelude to the longest story that has been played out time and time again in this white dominated world in one way or another.
Let’s just fast forward 100 years plus and here we are where we find ourselves still experiencing the same racist vitriol. The perpetrators today are in the uniforms of Law enforcement throughout this so-called land of the free and the brave and justice for all (only pink skinned folks). Whether it is walking, driving, jogging, shopping or playing in a department store or park with a play gun, having the dark skin is an open invitation these days for harassment, police abuse and possible death. Just the mere suspicion of guilt by law enforcement or any white citizen today, ( just as it was back then ) seems to cause enough suspicion to justify the murder of many an unarmed dark skinned woman or man….It appears that we most definitely have gone from the noose to the bullet and we can’t seem to shake it….We can pray for all those innocent Black lives who have left this planet so abruptly at the hands of racism and their families, but praying and marching and protesting just isn’t enough. We must feel a compelling duty to eradicate our society of this viciousand insensitivity to human life on both sides of the paradigm…Are we capable of honestly taking a look deep within ourselves and really question who we really are as a dark-skinned people and what is it that needs to be done to eradicate our society from the grips of a sinister indifference as it pertains to the lives of dark skinned people all over the world. We can pray to the most high for strength and courage but eventually it comes down to the will of the people and what they are willing to do in order to achieve an equitable and lasting change.
So the question is; what are dark skinned people ready and willing to sacrifice in order to accomplish this goal because anything substantially meaningful definitely comes at a cost!! The cost has been paid many times before from the period of slavery and the (underground-railroad and abolitionists) to the forties, fifties and sixties (civil rights and voting rights groups and integration proponents) and the seventies (black power and black nationalists groups) and now.
Radical Change requires Radical Action
We are all Big Mo’s, Mattie’s, their family and some of us just might never make it back home.
Written by; Alton DeVeaux Jr. (5th Generation African)
This particular topic has been swirling around in my mind for years and now I feel that the time has arrived for me to finally speak on it. As you can see, the title to this piece is (WORDS) and I’m going to speak about the power that people give them.. What exactly are words except a means of which we communicate and interact with one another for whatever the purpose may be. They are fundamental and primarily essential to our understanding and learning but otherwise are not relevant…However, there are those people in the world who understand the power that words can have and will not hesitate to use them as a tool to divide, control, manipulate and exploit… So Beware!
Welcome, you have now stepped into the realm of truth and hopefully you will enjoy the read and become another enlightened soul…
Human values are the principles, standards, convictions and beliefs that people adopt as their guidelines in daily activities. Principal human values are the foundation on which professional ethics are built. They are a set of consistent measures and behaviors that individuals choose to practice in the pursuit of doing what is right or what is expected of them in a humane society. Most laws and legislation are shaped by human values. If a country professes freedom, equality and justice for all as well as high moral family values then the leader of this country should embrace and reflect those same principles and values…
Now I for one am extremely aware of the pervasive and ubiquitous nature of hypocrisy in the makeup of our species and our society… I am aware of how it courses through the arteries of the most unaltruistic of our kind and lends itself to malevolent folks who promulgate self-serving agendas. I also understand completely how the process/action which is not seen (thought) allows compromise to maneuver and manipulate many people’s sense of values and principles which in turn open the door for hypocrisy to take root and flourish..If we paid closer attention to the behavior and actions (not rhetoric) of said folks who demand our steadfast adherence to these fundamental values/principles we would acknowledge their blatant hypocritical posturing and require the same of them. Unless of course we choose to be swept up in a wave of ignorance and denial ourselves for whatever reasons…Which of course is exactly what the trumpeteers have elected to do!!
Firstly and foremost let me personally acknowledge and congratulate you brother on what has been an outstanding and stellar world of fame career as one of the most prolific and premier wide receivers to ever play in the NFL. You have no doubt established your place in the upper echelon of professional athletes and in the annals of NFL history as one of the best to have ever played the game. Personally I am enormously grateful to have had the privilege of witnessing your astounding athletic talent and contribution to the game…. So I ask, what do you need the NFL Hall of Fame for?
Secondly, I have been trying to figure out for the longest time why some of the most highly accomplished African/American (Black) athletes as well as actors and entertainers have this incessant need to be recognized by white America for their achievements and success? What the heck is that all about? Is it because they have been conditioned to do so and don’t really recognize it or is it just ego? More than likely it’s a combination of both!!!
Why do folks need these white established/invented institutions to serve as an acclamation and final exclamation point on ones professional career and level of greatness? What purpose do they really serve?
As far as I’m concerned, these institutions are another form of mental and emotional enslavement (although they weren’t intended to be) for our brothers and sisters and others. Since when does any person (esp. one of color) need the affirmation of another to rate or validate their contributions or the level of their performance? Whenever a person buys into that type of mentality, they have placed themselves at the mercy of those who have invented the process as well as those who vote ( most of whom are white). These puny pompous people with their nomination/induction process and ceremonial event revel in the thought that their otherwise meaningless existence at this particular time has some relevant power (it does not). Only if you subscribe to the process and recognize it as valid.
White folks created these institutions of so-called prominence, acclaim and fame so that they can decide who meets the standard of excellence (something they’ve also have manufactured) and who has the honor of gracing its walls and corridors for folks to gawk at in wonderment. It is a part of the conditioning process that occurs very early in one’s life.. Rewards for Excellence.. Man it is all so pretentious and subjective and actually when it comes down to it, it means absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of life, the world and the universe…
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For most, I guess it serves as the final stamp of approval and recognition (from a select group of people who have probably never played a down) and just maybe one last widely publicized and nationally televised stroke for the ego. Oh please, please, please I need some stroking…What do you mean, I’m not worthy to be inducted into the Hall of Fame? Really???
Well, most of us seem to need a pat on the back for a job well done.. Although it’s gotta be a huge disappointment when it doesn’t come through. But hey, that is exactly what one has to expect when one relies on others to validate who they are and what they have accomplished.. You are now at their mercy and most of them are recklessly intoxicated with that notion… It’s gives them what they perceive as the power to validate or not. Which I guess can be a crushing blow to most. Personally, I wouldn’t give a crap or give them the pleasure…Just my pennies worth!!
Just a final note; I am all for excellence. Yes, be the best that you can possibly be. Do not settle for mediocrity and let your body of work speak for you, not someone else’s standard of excellence..
It is said that you never really know how someone really feels until you have a conversation with that person. I recently had the opportunity to engage in one such conversation and I must confess folks, it was quite revealing. Allow me to give you just a little back ground before I get started and I will refrain from using any names here.
Now, I have known this man whom I held in high regard (and to some extent, still do) for just a little over fourteen years through a working relationship. However, you know what they say; “I know him but I really don’t know him”. He comes across as very compassionate, understanding, personable and an honest person. Extremely easy to talk with and from what I could surmise then and still to this day, he does not have a single racist bone in his being… He’s intelligent, disciplined, methodical, calculating, loyal and driven to be successful, all of which are qualities that I respect, admire and have personally aspired to incorporate in my life…His smile and demeanor are very disarming and could leave one with the impression of a docile man…But make no mistake about it, he’s a sly fox and skilled predator who knows how to shake people up in order to get what he needs to get done…These are for the most part pretty much common traits in all successful business men and women..
I first met him, by way of a referral through about 15 years ago through some IT Techs who were impressed with me and my work…So they helped to open the door for me to work with and for this man and it has proven to be a very successful and rewarding business relationship for both of us. His business had grown exponentially over the years and I was entrusted with building the communications and data infrastructure for his over thirty locations.. Each location opened without a hitch and when he had sold the business out a few yeas ago, I had nothing to complain about because he took me along for the ride and I will always be grateful for the opportunity he gave me. So when he very recently decided to pursue another business venture, I was contacted and with some hesitation ( only because I had retired) opted in… Besides, I was contemplating doing a little something on the side anyway to keep me somewhat occupied.
So now, a few weeks ago while working at a new location, I was sitting in an office performing a little programming…He walks in, asks me how am I doing and gives me a fist bump ( cause he knows that I’m not a hand shaker)..
He then proceeds to talk about black people and how we need to stop bringing up slavery and what happened forty years ago. Man, you know I just had to take a moment to let this marinate and think about whether or not he really understood the gravity of what he was saying. Was this a statement that he truly believed in his heart or was he just regurgitating some BS that he and a lot of folks like him have heard other people say over the years and even more so lately.. I mean I gotta tell ya, I had to catch myself because either he was being extremely audacious or was just plain ignorant because stupid he is not. Did he really feel that comfortable with me that he could speak that openly with me? Was he really that disconnected or did he possibly feel that because of his position (You know, the man who signs my checks) and being white, that this actually granted him that privilege? I really had no answer but I definitely wanted to put him in check.
He continued talking about my people as though he were some expert on African-American history,culture and behavior. You know that mentality that most white folks have which is that (we all look and act alike)..This man’s ancestors not only enslaved Africans but committed some of the most heinous and cruelest atrocities against my people and now we should just forget about it!! You see, it’s like saying if someone get’s their ass whipped every single day for years, well they should let bygones be bygones. Hell no, you need to always remember that shit because they may just try to do it again and you need to be ready for it!! I can almost guarantee you one thing and that is, if the situation were reversed he wouldn’t be trying to forget about it and odds are he’d be more than likely thinking about how he could get revenge and possibly turn the tables..That’s just how most white folks roll man..They don’t forget and they don’t forgive, they find a way to get even with your ass…
He then to talked about what Trump had said regarding the state of Black people and how the Obama administration had done practically nothing for us and what did we have to lose by voting for Trump? Sadly to say there are a lot of black folks that feel the very same way…You know it’s very interesting and just a bit comical just how much white folks forget how we got into this predicament in the first place. They always seem to conveniently have a lapse in memory of how white America has always managed to put various strangle hold measures in place that pretty much impeded the progress of most Black people.
You see, they don’t want to talk about that imbecile Bush 43 and his administration’s lack of oversight which allowed the economy, wall street, and housing market to crash and how we were inextricably plunged into a financial crisis.. How their rapaciousness dragged us into an unnecessary war, how he blew a trillion-dollar surplus and how the pentagon misplaced 2.3 Trillion dollars all under his watch (oh and let us not forget about that inside 911 job that they’d like us to believe was committed by some folks from a third world desert country)…Yeah, these so-called Saudi terrorists were slicker than the US intelligence department which probably wrote the book on slick aka espionage and covert activity…But they are sure quick to point out how badly we’re doing under Obama (click link)who just happened to create millions more jobs than Bush, as though his administration did such an outstanding job. Really??(SMH)….He also wanted to make a point of just how much black on black crime there is and the high number of murders that are being committed these days and how disproportionately the percentages are as it relates to blacks being killed by cops as opposed to whites being killed by cops and that cops should be given due process. I had to remind him that our brothers and sisters who were being executed by these cops were also entitled to that same due process but were denied it by a cops bullet that rendered their own form of justice (death). I also let him know that my people will stop talking about the injustices when the injustices stop and that we’ll stop talking about slavery when white folks stop talking about the holocaust, pearl harbor,the 911 hoax and other atrocities that they suffered. They would have been talking about white slavery but it hasn’t impacted them as it has black folks and besides they don’t want to be telling folks that their ancestors were once enslaved by their own!!!!They’ll deny that all the way to their graves and claim it was indentured servitude.. They always like to make foul shit that they have done sound palatable….Much easier to digest!
Why is that white folks are always trying to tell black folks what we should and should not be doing and what we should and should not talk about? You ever notice how when you bring up all the foul shit that they’ve done, their response is ( that’s in the past) no need to bring up shit from the past and how we need to get beyond it and move forward… They always want to sell us on how good Blacks have it now and some BS about how great and virtuous they are in order to keep folks distracted from the truths. You know, like we should be thankful that we’re not still slaves and we should shut the hell up….You see, this is the kinda ignorant self-righteous, holier than thou condescending mentality that could make a righteous people become ruthless and wicked and want to inflict some serious pain upon them but most black folk are just not like that.. Maybe we need to be, to some extent!!!
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My last post I wrote a little about the “power of self” and this post as you can see is about the “power of influence”. Both of these correlate with one another because one cannot happen without affecting the other in some fashion (be that good or bad). We are all influenced in some manner or another and that can happen in many ways. I read this book called (The Psychology of Influence and Persuasion written by: Robert D. Cialdini, PhD) and I couldn’t help but think of how much it applies to this 2016 Presidential campaign and all the negative and repulsive ( yet revealing ) comments and antics that surrounded and enveloped it. This book as well as this election is an in-debt revealing look into the weapons of persuasion and how they are implemented.. Unbeknownst to us, we encounter and fall prey to them almost every waking hour, minute and second of the day…
The “power of self” can also be an influence on not just our lives but the lives of others both indirectly and directly. Basically, what it boils down to is how one or the other is used.. Now these can be negative or positive but either way they are interlocked. Weapons of persuasion are used to affect our thoughts and emotions which will yield the desired effect. In this case, the outcome of the 2016 Presidential election!!!
This election has been exactly that, an overwhelmingly display of influence and weapons of persuasion. It serves as a classic example of how folks have allowed things they heard, things they wanted to hear but didn’t or things they thought they heard, things they saw, things they wanted to see but didn’t or things they thought they saw affect their judgment and now we and the world bear witness to its effect . They have allowed elements or mediums outside of themselves to take complete control of their minds and emotions and affect them immensely without much evaluation. That which impacts our perception will ultimately affect our perspective.. The massive amount of energy and effort set in motion campaigns on both sides whose purpose or intent was to ultimately persuade folks to vote for their respective candidates. There were also other entities, sources and people who individually and some collectively who spoke of how they felt about both candidates whether positively or negatively attempting to influence and persuade folks to vote or not to vote for these candidates. This occurred from all ethnic, religious and special interest groups. To sum it up, it was an immense aggregation and amalgamation of propaganda, emotions, thoughts, stink and garbage… Speaking of religion, isn’t there supposed to be a separation of church and state?? Oh that’s right, only when it is a matter of convenience and agendas……
Hypocrites!!! But ya’ll go ahead and keep listening and following these impostors and crooks masked in the cloth of righteousness….B.S.
